Yes, this really did fly! In 1911, it took 49 days to fly from New York to California but failed to win the prize money of $50,000 put up by William Randolph Hearst because it took 19 days longer than the rules required.

Another early aircraft - a Blériot XXVII - similar to the one Louis Blériot flew across the English channel in 1911. When you think about it, it's pretty amazing how far we've advanced since the first powered flight in 1903.

Yesterday evening, when I was round the back wondering what on earth I was going to do with all those bulbs, this guy buzzed overhead and circled for ages before flying south. Nosey or what?

Whenever I see a hang glider, powered or not, I'm always reminded of Viv Stanshaw's character - Sir Henry at Rawlingson End. On spotting a hang glider, he said to his manservant (whose name I won't repeat, funny as it is) "Seems a novel enough way to commit suicide. Pass me m' pistol. See if I can't bring the blighter down in the lake."

Great photos .. the Ayer's Rock pic is fabulous MG. I would already have done the hawk experience Christina and I need to put my thinking cap on to capture something although with the wild winds outside today anything could go flying past the window!

The first time I took to the air was in one of these - a De Havilland Chipmunk - when I was in the air cadets. It was only a short trip over the north of Bristol but I was thrilled. (Even more so as I didn't get air sick.)

My first flight was in a plane like this replica at the South Canterbury Museum, oh wait....maybe I am thinking of Richard Pearse who may or may not have flown before the Wright Brothers. No documentation about whether he did or did not fly and land a powered heavier-than-air machine on 31 March 1903 and a few times over the next few months unlike the Wright Brothers 9 months later.

I took some photos of a pair of jets tootling about overhead earlier this week, but they really don't show up very well, so here's my old friend down by the river (on the same day) looking for fish. He does fly, just not in this picture.

This creepy-crawly flew (or glided?) in my open patio window last night, and I believe the horrid thing is a cockroach of some sort. I have no idea what the black thing at his tail end might be, so anybody who knows something about these animals is welcome to enlighten me. He was swiftly removed from the premesis!

oh eewie! Never having seen a cockroach before I had believed them to be darker in colour. I therefore did not squash the thing and released it outdoors. I sincerely wish I hadn't, I've got the heebie-jeebies now